1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel peptides, and to genes encoding the peptides, which are capable of inducing inflammatory cardiomyopathy in vivo.
2. Related Art
Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of death in Western societies. Various risk factors have been associated with the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, including such factors as high cholesterol levels, smoking, stress, high blood pressure, obesity, and hyperglycemia. Recent evidence suggests that certain bacterial infections may be a causative event in the development of certain heart diseases (Danesh et al., Lancet, 350: 430-436 1997!). In particular, Chlamydia infections have recently been shown to be linked, both epidemiologcally and experimentally, to heart disease (Danesh et al., supra; Ossewaarde et al., Epidemiol. and Infect., 120: 93-99 1998!).
Inflammatory heart disease and dilated cardiomyopathy similar to that which occurs in humans can be induced in mice by immunization of the mice with myosin protein obtained from heart muscle (Neu et al., J. Immunol., 139: 3630-3636 1987!). Immunization of Balb/c mice with a peptide consisting of amino acids 614-643 of cardiac alpha-myosin can induce inflammatory heart disease in the mice (Pummerer et al., J. Clin Invest., 97: 2057-2062 1996!).
In view of the prevalence and devastating effects of cardiovascular disease, it would be beneficial to identify compounds that decrease the risk of inflammatory cardiomyopathy and methods of decreasing or preventing such disease.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide novel compounds that are useful in decreasing and/or preventing inflammatory cardiomyopathy. Other such objects will be readily apparent to the skilled artisan.